1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunication network management, and more specifically is directed toward a system and method for using a graphical user interface to remotely monitor and configure network elements.
2. Related Art
There is an ongoing need to improve network monitoring and management techniques at all levels, from the network element level up through the highest system level. Network elements are monitored to provide a detailed predefined set of network element performance data. Examples of performance data and alarm information that can be retrieved from a network element include the number of errored seconds, severely errored seconds, path alarm indication signals, etc.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional vendor-controlled network management system 100 that retrieves network performance data from, and configures a group of network elements 110. In this network management system, the operations controller (OPC) 130 is connected to the network elements 101 and 104 via Control Network (CNet) connections 122 and 124, respectively. The network elements 101-104 are referred to collectively as the OPC span of control, or OPC group 110. The network elements 101-104 are interconnected by links 111-113. Links 111-113 represent either intrasite or intersite connections. Intrasite connections can be provided by CNet bridge cables, while intersite connections can be provided via the synchronous optical network (SONET) defined data communications channel (DCC) overhead bytes.
For the network monitoring operation, the OPC 130 periodically interrogates the computer resident within each network element 101-104. The network elements 101-104 provide the OPC 130 with performance and status information. The OPC 130 then provides the collected information to the network manager 140. The network manager 140 retrieves performance and status information from a plurality of network element groups via a plurality of OPCs (not shown).
In a similar fashion, the network manager 140 is also used to configure the network elements 101-104. Examples of types of configuration settings that can be accomplished in this fashion include switching the performance alarms to an `on` or `off` state, and setting the threshold parameters used to activate the performance alarms. From the network manager 140 a command is provided to the OPC 130 that is used to configure one or more of the network elements 101-104 within the OPC group 110.
In this conventional network management system 100, the service provider (e.g., MCI Telecommunications Corporation) owns and controls the network elements 110, the OPC 130 and the network manager 140. However, the service provider does not control the content and distribution of the retrieved performance data. Rather, the network element vendors that sell the hardware (i.e. the network elements 110, the OPC 130 and the network manager 140), retain control over both the network management software and the collected data. Specifically, network elements 101-104 are programmed by the vendor to provide only basic predefined information to OPC 130. The retrieved data is then stored in a databases located in the OPCs 130 and the network elements 110. Such databases are also controlled by the vendor. Finally, the vendor generates predefined reports that are provided to the service provider on a network element basis. Effectively, vendors dictate both the type and format of data that is provided to the purchasers of the network elements.
In this situation, a service provider has limited access to its own network data. Customization of the data to be retrieved and the provision of aggregate network-wide reports can be accomplished only through requests to the vendor. This request process is often inefficient and expensive. What is needed is a system and method for maximizing (1) the types of data that are extracted from the network elements, and (2) the availability of the extracted data to the service provider for subsequent analysis.
In addition, in the conventional network management system 100, each network element must be configured manually. That is, a network engineer must manually log on the network manager 140 or OPC 130 and send a set of commands to each of the network elements 101-104 that is to be configured. Alternatively, network engineers can configure the network elements 101-104 by locally attaching a terminal to each of the network element's craft interface (not shown, described below), and manually configuring the network elements 101-104. In either case, both conventional methods involve manually configuring the network elements, one at a time. The conventional method does not provide a network-wide solution. Considering that a typical long distance network comprises many thousands of network elements 101-104, the conventional method of network configuration can be an extremely costly and timely process.
Moreover, the conventional method makes it very difficult to maintain a consistent configuration for the many thousands of network elements 101-104 comprising the communications network. For example, it is desirable to set consistent alarm thresholds for similar types of network elements throughout the network in order to yield more accurate and uniform performance evaluation results. What is needed therefore, is a system and method for automatically configuring the network elements so that a timely and consistent configuration is assured throughout the network.
Additionally, it is desirable to permit shared access to a network management system that is available to service provider personnel throughout a wide geographical area. Further, it is desirable that such shared access be available to a diverse variety of computer systems. What is needed therefore, is a system and method for providing shared access to a network management system to a diverse variety of computer platforms distributed over a wide geographical area.